"You're going to love it here, Savannah. Trust me."

Savannah Kinkirk gazed out the window of their new condominium, daydreaming about life in Glen Oak. She didn't expect any of her fantasies to come true, mostly because she knew better than to think that her new peers would accept her right away, no questions asked. But filling her mind with confidence-building images and ideas gave her something to do to pass the time as well as a little bit of extra strength, which she would undoubtedly need.

"There are so many people that you absolutely have to meet!" her mom continued.

"You still keep in touch with everyone you knew here?" Savannah asked, turning away from the window. Seeing the toddlers across the street pick bugs out of their front yard was too distracting for her to daydream, but watching them stick them in their mouths was too disgusting to watch.

"Yeah, I guess I do!" her mom shrugged, grinning from ear to ear. She hugged her belly, which, at only five months pregnant, already looked like it was going to burst.

"It'll be nice to have some extra help when the baby comes."

Savannah nodded. She felt guilty about it, but she couldn't help but be irritated with the fact that every conversation she and her mother had always returned to the baby. It made her feel hopelessly jealous, because she had always been an only child. But when Savannah's aunt Cecilia announced that she was pregnant, it was as if a light bulb went off in her mother's head. Suddenly it was, "Have you ever wanted a little brother or sister?" and, "How would you feel if I had another baby?" Savannah tried to respond negatively each time, but the thought was stuck in her mother's head. And suddenly, she was pregnant.

"I'm back, and I have food!" Savannah's father announced as he opened the door and strode into the kitchen.

"Great, we're starving!" her mother exclaimed. Savannah was about to nod in agreement when she saw her mother still clutching her stomach and realized that she meant she and the baby. Savannah politely waited until her mother's back was turned to roll her eyes.

"So, did you girls get some unpacking out of the way?" her father asked as he unloaded groceries onto the counter.

"Why don't you see for yourself?" her mother teased.

Savannah's father strolled through the living room, the only spacious part of the condo, and then through the three tiny bedrooms, raising his eyebrows with approval.

"Wow…I'm impressed!"

Savannah smiled as she piled fresh fruit onto her plate. She decided to let go of her earlier annoyance. She had worked hard, and it felt good to get some recognition. Plus, she couldn't help but be excited as she planned how to set up and organize her bedroom.

"Savannah, why don't you carry the empty boxes down to the curb?"

Even though she felt sick with hunger, Savannah didn't dare disobey her father. She set her plate on the table and began stacking the empty boxes. When she had them all together, she stepped outside and was greeted with a gush of humid air. It was early evening, and the sun still warmed the small street, which was lined with condos on both sides.

Savannah set the boxes on the curb and glanced across the street to see if the toddlers were still eating insects. But they had gone inside.

She glanced to her right, and frowned at the well-kept but empty little yards.

Great, she thought to herself, this must be the street to live on.

"So much excitement," she said out loud, actually a little louder than she'd meant to.

"Isn't there?" a voice answered.

Savannah whirled around so quickly that it took her eyes a few moments to take in the figure standing in their next-door neighbor's driveway. But when they finally adjusted, she nearly choked.

"If there's anything remotely interesting going on…you know…around…I'll let you know," the guy said with a laugh.

He looked like he'd just got out of bed. His already-shaggy hair was tousled and his striking blue-green eyes had a sort of sleepy look to them. As for his clothes, his flannel pants hung loosely around his waist. He wasn't wearing a shirt.

"Thanks," Savannah said, trying to make her voice sound as casual as his had, but she was too dizzy-feeling to know if she'd succeeded.

The guy went to get into the black SUV parked in his driveway, but paused briefly to look her up and down. When he met her eyes, he smirked and put the key in the ignition. Savannah smiled back at him and retreated into the condo. She only vaguely wondered where he was driving to with no shirt on.

Once inside, she broke out in a grin so huge that her cheeks hurt. Her mom was right.

She was definitely going to like it here.